In This Chapter
- Sleuthing out a more advanced instructor
- Exploring the possibility of switching disciplines
- Improving your riding skills by cross-training
Learning to ride is hard work,
and just as with anything in life, hard work pays off. If you’ve taken lessons
and practiced your riding to the point where you’re now an intermediate rider,
congratulations! Of course, this new prowess comes with some responsibilities
and benefits.
In this chapter, I help you take
advantage of your newfound skills. You discover how to find a new instructor
and/or explore other disciplines. You also find out how to get your mind and
body ready for greater challenges in the saddle.
Finding a New Instructor or Trainer
Saying goodbye as you graduate
If you decide to switch instructors, you can either
let your old teacher know why you’re leaving or take the coward’s way out and
just change your phone number. Of course, letting your original instructor
know that you’ve moved on to the next level and feel you can develop your
skills more with someone else is the nobler way to handle the situation.
Soften the blow by giving your instructor a nice gift or card to show your
appreciation for all you’ve learned.
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Tip
When searching for a new instructor, follow a procedure similar to the one you used to find your original instructor (see Chapter School’s in Session: Taking Riding Lessons for details). This time, keep in mind that your skills are much more honed. Here are some steps you can take when searching for someone to help you at your new level of riding:
- Contact an organization that certifies riding instructors: Certification organizations may be able to provide you with the contact information of instructors in your area (for a list of some of these organizations, see the Appendix). Some of these organizations include information on each instructor and can give you a sense of whether the instructor takes on intermediate or advanced students.
- Attend horse shows in your area: As you watch the classes, you should notice trainers and riding instructors working with their students on the sidelines. Take note of the instructors and trainers who work with the students who do most of the winning or whose riding you most admire. When the show is over or during the lunch break, approach the trainer or instructor and find a good time for you two to talk. The person should be happy to discuss his or her program with you over the phone or in person at a later date. (Chapter Show Off: Riding in Competition has general information on horse shows.)
- Ask other riders for a referral: Talk to riders at your boarding stable or horse club and find out whom they ride with. You can learn a lot about instructors and trainers and their reputations by talking to fellow horse people.
Tip
After you meet an expert or two whom you’re interested in working with, take a few private riding lessons with that person. Gauge whether the trainer seems comfortable teaching someone at your riding level, and make sure you like the person’s teaching style. Then discuss your riding goals and see whether the trainer feels he or she can take you to the next level.
Switching Disciplines
Perhaps you ride Western and look
with envy at the hunt seat riders sailing over fences. Or maybe you found out
that dressage just doesn’t offer you all the calf-roping opportunities you’re
looking for. If so, now may be a good time to look into other disciplines.
If you think you want to try
another riding style, explore that discipline thoroughly before you make the
switch. If your instructor also teaches that other discipline, take a lesson
from him or her to make sure you like riding in that style before you
completely switch over. Or find another instructor who teaches that discipline
and take a lesson or two to see whether you like it (see Chapter School’s
in Session: Taking Riding Lessons for
information on choosing a stable and instructor).
Remember
You can always try a new discipline for a while and switch back to your original style of riding if you decide you don’t like the change. That’s the great thing about taking lessons as opposed to owning your own horse and tack — you aren’t committed to a particular style if you discover you don’t like it. In fact, you can take a lesson in all the disciplines out there if you want to, just for the fun of it.
Of course, if you’re just looking
for some new challenges, you may simply want to try some alternative riding
styles or activities that fit within your discipline. Part V of this book runs
through some of your options.
Growing Stronger with Advanced Conditioning
As you advance in your riding,
you may want to condition your body for harder work. If you haven’t already
been cross-training (participating in physical activities besides
riding; see Chapter Mind
and Body: Conditioning Yourself for Riding for details), consider working it into your routine.
Although you don’t have to cross-train in order to ride, doing one or more
additional exercises can help. Here are some possible activities (Note: Make
sure you check with your doctor before you begin any exercise program):
- Jogging: Jogging is helpful because first and foremost, it builds endurance. Endurance is most important for English riders because as you advance, you’ll have to spend more time posting at the trot (see Chapter Bumping Up Your Skills with the Jog or Trot) and riding the canter (see Chapter Getting on the Fast Track with the Lope or Canter), two activities that require strong wind so you don’t get out of breath. Jogging also builds muscle strength in your legs and can help keep your weight down.
- Aerobics: Formal aerobics classes are an excellent way to build the kind of stamina you need for more-advanced riding. If you’re an English rider, consider doing aerobics for 30- to 45-minute sessions so you don’t have trouble keeping up in your riding lessons when posting the trot or cantering.
- Weight training: Lifting weights is a good way to build strength in both the arms and the legs.
Tip
Whether working with free weights or a weight machine, keep the weights light and the repetitions many. You want to build strong, sinewy muscles rather than bulk — bulk makes you heavier and less flexible.
- Swimming: Swimming is great for building stamina and strength. The resistance that water provides challenges your muscles and makes them stronger without stressing the joints like high-impact exercises can. Your lung capacity can develop, too, if you start a swimming regimen, because swimming calls for a considerable amount of exertion.
- Hiking: If you aren’t the type to join a gym or jog around the neighborhood waving at people you know, consider hiking instead. If you hike in hilly areas, you can quickly build both your wind and the muscles in your legs. Personally, I find hiking the most enjoyable of all cross-training activities. It’s a day out in the country enjoying nature while building your body for riding at the same time.
- Jumping rope: A great way to develop stamina is to jump rope. Children tend to jump rope just for fun, but jumping rope as an adult is a lot more challenging. Not only do adults need to relearn the timing of it, but they also get winded a lot faster. You should find that if you jump rope on a regular basis (several times a week), your stamina will be surprisingly good when you ride.
Remember
As you cross-train in one or more of these additional sports and exercises, remember that no substitute exists for regular riding. Although these activities can help you build your endurance and muscle strength, actual riding hones your muscles and wind more appropriately for your number one sport. Ride as often as you can!
Improving Your Balance and Timing
The time you spend in the saddle
can develop the balance and coordination you need for more-advanced work, but
you can certainly help the process along. Cross-training in one or more
activities that encourage balance and the development of motor skills and
hand-eye coordination can make you a better rider. Here are some ideal activities:
- Yoga: Yoga’s a great tool to make your body flexible, and it helps with balance and muscle strength. Yoga also helps you figure out how to truly relax, something that can come in handy when dealing with an easily spooked horse who takes his cue from the tension in your body.
- Pilates: Pilates is a type of strengthening exercise that has caught on with many people, especially riders. It improves flexibility and builds strength without adding bulk. The mental conditioning that’s a part of Pilates training can also be helpful. You can take a Pilates class or buy a Pilates DVD to watch at home.
- Dance: In a sense, riding is like dancing with your horse. If you can master dancing with a human partner or even by yourself, you’ll be more in tune when it comes time to “dance” with your horse (the best dance partner with two left feet you’ll ever have!).
For cross-training, try just about any kind of dance you like to do, whether it’s ballroom dancing, square dancing, line dancing, or club dancing. Ballet in particular takes real dedication, but a class or two can really help. So get your groove on! Dancing helps improve both your balance and your timing, so if you do it regularly, you’ll become a more coordinated rider.
- Tennis: Although tennis is much more aerobic than the other activities I list here, it works in this category because it requires considerable coordination. If you can develop the kind of timing it takes to precisely hit a ball that’s coming at you with considerable speed, you should be better able to coordinate the parts of your body in a fraction of a second when you’re riding.
Just about any sport can improve your work in the saddle. And just think: If you take on one of these hobbies in addition to your riding, no one can accuse you of being completely horse crazy!
by Audrey Pavia with Shannon Sand
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